BALTIMORE, MARYLAND – SEPTEMBER 28: Detail view of a baseball bat weight with a Boston Red Sox logo against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on September 28, 2023 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Brandon Sloter/Image Of Sport/Getty Images)
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Veteran relievers often find themselves moving between organizations as teams search for bullpen depth throughout the marathon Major League Baseball season.
For experienced pitchers with championship pedigrees, a strong showing in the minors can quickly lead to another opportunity at the highest level.
That was the hope for Ryan Brasier, the long-time Boston Red Sox reliever who joined his hometown Texas Rangers organization earlier this season.
Brasier was looking to earn another shot in the majors. Instead, his contract with the Rangers was cut short when the organization released him earlier this week, per the official transaction log.
Boston Red Sox World Series Champion Cut By American League Team
Red Sox fans will recall Brasier’s contributions across six different seasons, including the team’s World Series run in 2018.
“Brasier has pitched in parts of nine major league seasons and accrued more than eight years of MLB service time,” Steve Adams wrote for MLB Trade Rumors after the cut. “He made a brief MLB debut with the 2013 (Los Angeles) Angels but didn’t settle in as a consistent big leaguer until an age-29 stint in Japan with the Hiroshima Carp helped to turn his career around. A nice performance in Japan landed him a minor league deal with the Red Sox, and he broke out with a 1.60 ERA in 33 2/3 frames for their World Series-winning club in 2018.”
Brasier’s emergence with Boston remains one of the more remarkable turnaround stories of the past decade. Brasier appeared in 34 games during Boston’s 2018 championship season and then appeared in nine postseason innings.
The right-hander went on to enjoy several productive seasons with the Red Sox and later pitched for the Los Angeles Dodgers, where he won another World Series championship in 2024.
Former Boston Red Sox World Series Champion Cut Abruptly From New Team
Across parts of nine major league seasons, Brasier compiled a career 3.90 ERA while appearing in more than 320 games.
Brasier appeared to still have more left in the tank last year, logging a 4.50 ERA for the Chicago Cubs in 26 innings and his performance for the Rangers’ Triple-A affiliate Round Rock Express was decent as well. He had a 3.97 ERA in more than 22 total innings when he was released.
At 38 years old, Brasier now returns to the open market in search of another opportunity. Given his extensive experience, postseason resume and track record of overcoming setbacks, it would not be surprising to see another organization take a chance on the veteran reliever.
For now, however, the latest chapter in Brasier’s professional journey has come to an abrupt end after only a short stay with the Rangers organization.